Life-saving garment for aviators.



J. J. COSTANZO.

LIFE sAvING GABMENTFOB AVIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED 10120.14, 1910.

Patented 0013.22, 1912.

3 SHEETS-BEBET 1.

Wl T IVE 88E 8:A

ATTORNEYS J. J. COSTANZO.

LIFE SAVING GARMENT PoR AvIAToRs,

APPLICATION I'ILBD DBO.14, 1910.

. 1042,3270 Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,4 7TOR/VEYS J. J. COSTANZO. LIFE SAVING GARMENT FOR AVIATORS. APPLICATION FILED DBO.14, 1910.

v 1.022.32?. Patented 0015.221912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Y l By ATTORNEYS Speciieatlonrof Letters Patent.

JOSEPH J'. COSTANZQ, 0F ALEXANDRIA., EGYPT.

LIFE-SAVING GABMENT FOR AVIAEITQIB'S.

Patented oet. 22,1912.

Application filed December 14, 1910. Serial No. 597,213.

` To all lwhom it may concern: p

- Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. COSTANZO,

dropped with or from an aerial craft. For

the purpose mentioned use is made of an inflatable casing, preferably made of connected sections of rubber or any other convenient iniatable substance with suitable air-receiving apertures therein and means whereby the shock of a fall or blow will bev substantially absorbed by the casing and its parts and not communicated .to the aviator within the casing.

inthe use of aerialfcraft, such as aeroplanes and the like, aviators are ofttimes seriously injured and sometimes killed by being thrown from or with the aerial craft, and it is for this reason that I have provided a life-saving garment to be worn by aviators, and adapted to eEect-uallyprevent them from being incapacitated in the manner heretofore mentioned.

My device furthermore etliciently performs the functions` of a life buoy, and should an aviator properly equipped with- -my garment be precipitated intoa body of water, the garment will prevent the aviator from being drowned.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyving drawings constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of my vdevi/ce in closed or operative position; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my device in closed position and disclosing the interior construction thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the garment in open position and secured to an aviator; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the inilating valve; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View, taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 4; Fig-6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, a portion of the structure being broken away in lorder to show the relation ofthe parts; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view setting forth the relative positions of the ends of the head member 12 when the device is in inated position; Fig. 8 is a similar view of t-he intermediate member 13; and Fig. 9 is a similar view of the foot member 14.

'Referring more particularly to the various views, I employ a plurality of inatable, connectible members l0, adapted to inclose a body 11, the said members 10 individually consisting of a head member 12, an intermediate member 13 and a foot member 14. Each of the members 12, 13 and 14 is constructed of independent superimposed inflatable chambers 15, the outer walls of which are connected by cords 16, a space 17 containing the cords being provided between each chamber. Resilient buttons 18 are formed on the inner sides of the chambers 15 and further tend to absorb any shock inflicted on the members of my device.

The head member 12 is provided with openings 19 `for the admission of air for breathing purposes, and in each of the members 12, 13 and 14 are recesses 20, from which suitable air terminals 21 depend, for connection with a-cut-oif valve, tol supply air to the various chambers 15 in the members 12, 13 and 14. Exhaust pipes 23 are disposed in the members 12, 13 and 14 for exhausting the air from,y the chambers 15, and the said exhaust pipes can be conveniently fitted with controlling valves, for controlling the amount of air to be eX- hausted from the chambersl. The pipes 23 of the three mentioned chambers for the evacuation of air, can be conveniently connected to a tri-conduit valve arranged to exhaust the air from the chambers at the proper moment and consequently if, for any reason, one of the chambers should become deranged the remaining two chamberswill continue to hold their air pressure. A spring-mounted base 24 is secured in the foot member 14, and constitutes a platform for the aviator to stand on.

A plurality of belts 25 is provided in the interior of'each of the members 12, 13 and 14, for securing the said members to the body of the aviator, and belts 26 are secured to the outside of the members 12, 13 and 14, to relatively hold the said members in proper position around the aviator. To p more securely retain the shape of the members 12, 13 and 14, each of the said members is provided with a nettin 27 encircling the member exteriorly thereof.

' To assist the aviator in properly positioning the head member 12 when the same is being inflated, a cord 28 is secured to the member 13 and the member 12, and by operating the mentioned cord the head member can be easily adjusted, to properly fit over the head of the aviator.

It has previously been stated thatthe garment herein described and claimed is made completely surrounds the body is provided.,

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 6, it

v will be noted that openings 80, 81 are illustrated adjacent the lower end of the intermediate member and the upper end of the foot member; it is to be further noted that these openings lie in different planes, whereby the ends of the members overlap for a certain extent. Between the lower end of the head member and the upper end of the intermediate member are openings 82, 83, lying in different planes, the openings being adjacent the meeting ends of t-he members and illustrating the relation in which they are positioned, the independence of the membeing maintained, while they coperatel bers to the extent of affording a complete outer covering for the body.

Each of the members is made .of iiexible material so that when the chambers therein are deflated the member will occupy a small space; when air is forced into the chambers the member will expand, the construction being such that when inflated, the members assume the several forms shown in the drawings. Referring particularly to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the relation of themeeting ends of each of the walls which incloses the chambers in the diiferent members, is set forth; it is to be noted that the walls of the different chamber are so designed that in no case do the different openings f1: between the meeting ends of the walls of anychamber lie in the same plane as the space between the meeting ends of the wall of another chamber, thereby providing for overlapping of the walls of the several chambers, whereby compactness is assured and resilience provided. Cf course, this particular arrangement of the walls of the chambers is not essential, as any other construction which arrives at the same result, that is, to provide the body with an inclosing seriesV of air.

- chambers, meets the spirit of the invention.

In the use of my described life-saving garment, when the aviator enters his aerial craft, the life .garment is spread out so that the aviator can dispose himself with the various parts of the life garment partially infolding him, suitable connections with an air supply having previously been made, as

will readily be seen in Fig. 3. When the aviator wishes to inclose himself in the life garment, the air connections are operated to supply air to the life preserver, and the members 12, 13 andlt, as they ll with air, will quickly infold the aviator. Thus, when the aviator, clad in a life garment such as.

described, falls to the ground, the shock of the fall will be substantially absorbed by the inflated suit and the aviator will be uninjured. Should the aviator fall into water, the buoyancy of the life garment will prevent the aviator from sinking, and by exhausting the air from the member 14 by means of the, exhausting pipes 23, the aviator inclosed in the life garment will assume an upright position, thus substantially keeping the aviators head above the surface of the water.

In' Figs. 4 and-5 I disclose a formof cutolf valve particularly adaptedfor use with my life garment when the mentioned garment is to be inflated. The valve consists of a pipe 30, constituting the end of an lair supply pipe for connection with an air tank, and mounted in the said pipe is a y threaded sleeve- 31, provided with a channel 32. A nut 33, having secured thereto a plurality of inclined blades 34,'is mounted to turn on the-sleeve 31, and a stop valve 35 is mountedy in the said sleeve. Encircling the sleeve 31, adjacent the blades 34, is an air channel 36, and when the air from the rent of air moves along thechannel 32 into the channel 36, from which it passes between the inclined blades 34. As the air passes between these blades it strikes the i inclined'portions of each blade, thus tending to turn the blades, and the resultant actionis to turn the nut 33 to which the blades are secured, thus moving the nut and the pipe end 30 downwardly on the sleeves 31. When the pipe end becomes entirely disengaged from the sleeve 31, the air supply having ceased to ilow into the lifegarment, a back pressure will result,l due to the air in they garment, and -this pressure will actuate the sto valve 35, to elfectually prevent any -air om leaving the life garment through the ends or terminals 21. A block -37 is mounted to move along the channel 32 as the nut 33 moves thereon, thus preventing any air from passing the block 37 in the channel 32. Channels 38- are provided intermediate the blades 34, for the exhaustion of air when the valve is operated and by arranging the air channels adjacent the blades a proportional exhaust of air from the valve is secured.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desi-Lto secure by Letters Patent is 1. A structure of the class described comprising a plurality of inflatable chambers fair tank passes through the pipe 30, a curlos concentrically arranged and which constitute body members, and means for connecting the said chambers together.

2. Astructure of the class described comprising a plurality of inflatable concentric chambers constituting body members, means for connecting` the chambers together, and 1llbock-absorbing cushions in one ofthe cham- 3. A structure ofthe class described comprising a number of concentric inflatable members adapted to be positioned around the body, the said members collectively forming a covering for the body, each of the members comprising a plurality of inflatable chambers, and means for holding the chambers in each member together.

4. A structure of the class described comprising a numberfof concentrically arranged A structure of the class described comprising a plurality of circularly arranged independent and inatable chambers, means between the side walls of the chambers for holding thedifferent chambers together, the side wall of one of the chambers forming an inclosure adapted to receive the body, whereby the lbody is surrounded by a resilient structure, and means for retaining the chambers in position on the body.

6. A structure of the class described com prising a plurality of concentrically arranged members coperating to form a'n inclosure to receive the body, each of the members being made up of a plurality of inatable chambers, means within the inclosure for engagement wlth the body, whereby all of themembers are held in position thereon.

7. A structure of the class described comprising concentrically arranged body members made up of inflatable chambers, together with means for maintaining the body membersin spaced relation. l

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication'in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH J. COSTANZO.

Witnesses:

C. G. ANU'rz, J. BARozzI. 

